Spring-seat attachment.



P. o. HOPPER. SPRING SEAT ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1911.

Patented Oct. 24, 191 1.

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FRED G. HOFFER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-SEAT ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

Application filed January 81, 1911. Serial No. 605,788.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. HOFFER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Spring-Seat Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a spring seat attachment for motorcycles or bicycles, etc., and the main object of the invention is to provide means for giving additional elastic movement to the ordinary spring seat, without producing any appreciable friction, or wear of the moving parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring seat attachment which is readily movable to position in which it will be out of the way when examining or repairing the machine.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, and referring thereto:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the attachment showing the seat and the adjacent portion of the frame of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the attachment. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the rear end portion of the attachment. Fig. 5 is a perspective of a different form of the attachment. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 00rc Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line w -a Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an underside view of Fig. 6.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is adapted for use where the frame, indicated at 1, is not provided with any seat post. The saddle, indicated at 2, is provided with the usual spring means 3 and with supporting means comprising a member 4 adapted to receive the pin or post 5 for supporting the saddle. Said post in the present case is carried by a yoke member 6 mounted on the frame 1 in such manner as to resiliently support the saddle, providing an elasticity in addition to that afforded by the spring members 3 of the saddle. The member 6 consists of a yoke or bail pivoted to a' forward supporting member consisting of an eye 8 embracing the top bar of frame 1 and secured thereto by clamp screws 9, said eye having lateral extensions or arms 10 to which the yoke member 6 is pivoted at 7. The saddle supporting post 5 is carried on the rear end of said yoke member 6 ex tends upwardly therefrom to enter and engage the saddle holding means 4 which may be formed as an eye adapted to fit on said post. Arms or bars 12 are attached to the yoke member 6 at each side thereof and extend downwardly therefrom and springs 13 are connected at their lower ends to said arms or bars 12 and at their upper ends to a rear supporting member 14 adapted to be supported by the frame 1 when in normal position to sustain the said springs and the seat attachment supported thereby. The said member 14 may consist of a bar bent in U-shape with its end portions extending above the yoke member 6 and provided with blocks 15 attached thereto and adapted to engage over the edges of the side bars of member 6, said blocks 15 being provided with flanges 15 for engaging outside of the said side bars. The central depressed portion of the U-shaped member 14 is secured, as by means of rivets,to a frame engaging member 17 which may be of inverted V-shape and adapted to rest on the rear fork 1 of the frame 1 and having down-turned lugs 17 at its lower end adapted to engage within said fork to retain the said members 17 and 14 in position against lateral displacement. The end portions of the U-shaped bar 14 are extended down, as

shown at 18, to serve as guides for the yoke member 6, said extensions being vertical and fitting against the inside of the side bars of the yoke member 6.

The operation is as follows: In normal position, the yoke member 6 extends rearwardly from its. pivot 7 and the member 17 rests on the fork portion 1 of the machine frame 1, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, thereby supporting the member 14 and the upper ends of the springs 13, so that when pressure is brought onthe yoke member 6 by the weight of a person on the saddle 2, the resulting depression of the yoke member 6 is resisted by the springs 13. The described construction enables springs of such size and character to be used that any desired amount of resiliency may be secured, while at the same time providing suflicient resistance to sus- 'tain the load. When weight is brought on the saddle, as stated, the device moves from position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to position shown in dotted lines, the bars 12 and springs 13 straddling the rear fork 1 of the machine frame 1.

For convenience in examining or repairing the machine it is often desirable to move the saddle out of the way temporarily and this may readily be effected by the above construction, the yoke member 6 being turned to position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be understood that when the yoke member 6 is raised to dotted position, as stated, the said yoke member will engage under the blocks 15 and raise the members 14 and 17 and snrings 13 bodily away from the frame of the machine and when the yoke member is returned to normal position, the said other parts swing back with it and are arrested in their downward movement by engagement of the member 17 with the rear fork 1 of the frame 1. WVhen it is desired to lift the entire machine by the seat, the frame 1 may be secured to the member 17 by means of a bolt 34 having a head 35 adapted to snugly fit the rounded portion of the frame bars 1, said bolt extending through slot 37 and being engaged by a thumb nut 36.

Fig. 5 illustrates the application of the invention to a machine frame 21 provided with a seat post indicated at 20. In this case the yoke member 26 is pivoted at 27 to a forward supporting member 28 secured on the top bar of the machine frame 21, said yoke member being provided at its rear end with a seat post 25 for engaging the supporting and clamping means for the seat and a rear supporting member 23 is provided movably connected to the yoke member 26, being provided with blocks 29 engaging over the top of the side bars of said yoke member and with downward extensions 30 engaging inside of said side bars to act as guides therefor in the downward movement of the side bars, the said rear supporting member being bent in U-shape at each side with a central elevated portion 31 adapted to engage and rest over the top of the post 20 on the machine frame 21. This rear supporting member may be fastened to said post 20 by screw 33.

What I claim is:

1. A spring seat attachment comprising a forward supporting member provided with means for attachment to a machine frame, a yoke member pivoted to said forward supporting member and extending rearwardly therefrom and provided at its rear end with a seat supporting post, a rear supporting member supported on the machine frame and comprising a bar provided with means engaging over the yoke member to limit the upward movement thereof, said yoke member having a downward extension at each side, and springs connected to said down ward extensions and to the. said rear supporting member at each side to elastically support said yoke member.

2. A spring seat attachment comprising a forward supporting member provided with means for attachment to a machine frame, a yoke member pivoted to said forward supporting member and extending rearwardly therefrom and provided at its rear end with a seat supporting post, a rear supporting member supported on the machine frame and comprising a bar provided with means engaging over the yoke member to limit the upward movement thereof and with portions extending downwardly within the yoke member to serve as guides therefor, said yoke member having downward extensions at each side, and springs connected to said downward extensions and to the said rear supporting member at each side to elastically support said yoke member.

3. A spring seat attachment comprising a forward supporting member provided with means for attachment to a machine frame, a yoke member pivoted at its forward end to said supporting member and provided at its rear end with a seat supporting post, a rear supporting member movably connected to said yoke member and adapted to engage the machine frame and be limited in its downward movement by such engagement, a sprmg connected to said rear supporting member and to said yoke member to yieldingly support the yoke member and the seat, said yoke member being movable downwardly from normal position independently of the rear supporting member, such downward movement being resisted by the action of said spring, and said yoke member engaging said rear supportmg member in its upward movement from normal position to carry said rear support- I mg member and the springs bodily upward 1n such movement.

4. A spring seat attachment comprising a forward supporting member provided with means for attachment to a machine 1 frame, a yoke member pivoted to said for- {ward supporting member and extending jrearwardly therefrom and provided at its frear end with a seat supporting post, a seat ;connected to said post, a rear member frame to limit its downward movement and iextending' over the yoke member to be carjried with the yoke member in the upward imovement thereof and provided with guide supporting normally engaging the machine means for engaging said yoke member in the downward movement thereof, and spring means connected to said yoke member and to said rear supporting member to resiliently support the yoke member.

5. A spring seat attachment comprising a forward supporting member provided with means for attachment to a machine frame, a yoke member pivoted to said forward supporting member and extending rearwardly therefrom and provided at its rear end with a seat supporting post, a rear supporting member normally engaging the machine frame to limit its downward movement and extending over the yoke member to be carried with the yoke member in the upward movement thereof and provided with guide means for engaging said yoke member in the downward movement thereof, said yoke member being provided with bars extending downwardly at each side of the machine frame, and springs connected to the 10 said downwardly extending bars and to the rear supporting member to resiliently support the yoke member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 21st day of January, 1911.

FRED o. HOFFER.

In presence of- G. F. I-IAoKLEY, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

